Refrigerant container construction for railway refrigerator cars



Get. 26, 1948.

Filed Nov. 13, 194s 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A \fi i T V. L

J EL IF I INVENTOR.

A. L. THOMPSON ZASZJ REFRIGERANT CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Nov. 13, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 26, 194.

mmvrox Qlfred 11. 7720122 215012 s hatch in the roof of the car communicating with Patented 26, 1948 REFRIGERANT CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION FOR RAILWAY REFRIGERATOR CARS Alfred L. Thompson, Munster, Ind., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware 4 Application November 13, 1946, Serial No. 709,619

13 Claims. (Cl. 62-17) The invention relates to railway refrigerator Another object of the invention is to provide cars and more particularly to the so-called top such attaching means without the use of weldbunker refrigerator car,as illustrated in Bonsall ing, as welding is liable to ignite the insulation Patent No. 2,136,999 of November 15, 1936, upon and is, therefore, dangerous. 1 which my invention is an improvement. 5 My invention applies to a refrigerant container In the Bonsall type of refrigerator car the rewhether wet ice, dry ice, eutectic ice or mechanfrigerant container is positioned adjacent the ical refrigeration is used in'the container. Somerooi and one side wall of the car and a horizontal times a lining is used as an insulation between partition is spaced below the refrigerant condry ice and the bottom of the container so as to tainer and another vertical partition is positioned retard the sublimation of the dry ice. Another adjacent the side wall to form a continuous flue object of the invention is to provide a container from below the'container to the space below the wherein the lining, if used, can be installed'or refioor rack of the car so that air cooled by the moved from the exterior of the car through the refrigerant in the container descends through the hatch opening. side wall fiue to below the floor rack, and being Another object of the invention is to provide warmed by the lading, rises through the lading a refrigerant container which can be assembled and lading compartment of the car and returns as a unit and applied to the car from the exterior to the space below the refrigerant container, thereof as a unit and wherein such unit can be where it is cooled again and repeats the cycle. attached to the car from the exterior thereof.

Wet ice is frequently used as a refrigerant in Another object of the invention is to provide such top bunker refrigerator cars and salt is a refrigerant container which extends above the used with the wet ice to accelerate melting and general plane of the roof so as to provide a baffle thereby increasing refrigeration, which salt corto prevent water, cinders or other foreign matter rodes the metallic refrigerant containers necesfrom entering the refrigerant container, and fursitating their removal and replacement every few thermore to form such baffle as to provide a reinyears. 'forcement around the periphery of the hatch Refri erat r ca s are requently iced while in opening and to attach the refrigerant container transit, therefore, it is imperative that they be iced t th part of th h m reinforcement above th "iced quickly 55 not to delay the general plane of the. roof so that said attachment one Object of my invention is to provide a can be removed from the exterior of the car, and furthermore to so form the container that after said attachment is removed the container can be removed from the exterior of the car.

the interior of the refrigerant container wherein the hatch opening is as large as the container which accomplishes two objects: first: it expedites loading of the refrigerant in the con- 325 gi m g g gg gg gfi gfi ii gg; g; tainer, thereby reducing the time and expense 1 b1 1 m ti ea ma be used necessary to load the refrigerant container, and 6 i ng a 1 a y secondly, it makes it possible to remove and re- W th my mpmve r geran con place the refrigerant container through the roof In the drawings" of the car instead of into the interior of the car 40 Figure 1 1s a perspective View of my improved as is now customary, thus reducing the time and refrigerant container applied to a railway expense of such removal and replacement. frigeratol' a with parts k n away to illus- A further object of the invention is to attach irate the construction thereofthe refrigerant container to a fixed part of the Figure 2 is a lateral section of a railway rccar in such a way that the refrigerant container frigerator car incorporating my mp can be detached from such fixed part of the car fri r nt ont inerfrom the exterior of the car, thus simplifying re- Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a refrigeramoval and replacement of the container. A furtor car showing the adjacent ends Of two f y ther object is to provide attaching means, such mp ov r f ig ant n n s, whi h figure as rivets, which can be applied or removed from also shows the construction of the roof of the car the exterior of the car, but which are positioned between the containers.

so that a loose rivet will not allow water to wet Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross section of a car the insulation of the car, but instead enters the showing a plurality of my improved containers. refrigerant container. Insulation, when wet, Figure 5 is a plan view of Figure 1.

loses part of its insulating value. Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9 show modified structures includ ng insulation hereinafter specifically described.

In the drawings the s de wall 2 and roof 3 of the car are connected by the side plate 4. The refrigerant container 5 is positioned adjacent the side wall 2 and roof 3 of the car and a horizontal partition 8 is spaced below the refrigerant container 5 so as to provide the flue 9 which communicates with the flues i between the vertical partition fl and the side wall l2 proper of the car. The air in the flue 9, being cooled by the refrigerant in the container 5, descends through the flue l0 underneath the floor racks (not shown) from whence. being warmed by the lading. rises andenters the flue i 3 through the opening l4.

The carlines l3 ex end between and are supported by the side plates 4 of the car. such as by the connecting member i9 and rivets 20. The purlins 21-22 extend between the carlines i8 and are secured thereto, preferably by welding (before the insulation is installed) so that the spaced carlines i8 and spaced purlins 2 l- -22 form a rigid frame 23. The refri erant container (whether foraminous or solid) has the major portion thereof below the roof sheets 24 so as to obtain the necessary cubical capacity thereof and so that the walls of thecontainer 5 will be in heat transfer relation between the refrigerant in the container 5 and the flues 9 and i3. The side (21) and end (28) vertical walls of the refrigerant container 5 extend through and above the frame 23 formed by the carlines l8 and our-- lins 2I22 and the overall width and length of the container are no greater at any place than the overall width and length of the opening in the frame 23 so that the refrigerant container 5 can be lowered vertically into position through the frame 23 from the outside of the car, and likewise, can be removed vertically from the car through the hatch opening 23. In other words, I

all horizontal dimensions of the container are such that the container may be moved vertically through the hatch opening 23 into or out of service position in the car without disturbin the roof sheets nor the reinforcing member, This is a material advantage in maintaining railway refrigerator cars.

The side walls 21 of the container 5 are adjacent the purlins 2l-22, respectively, so as to be braced thereby but are not secured to the purlins. Likewise the end walls 25 of the container 5 are positioned adiacent the carlines l'8 so as to brace the container but are not secured to the carlines 18. The roof sheets 24 are provided with marginal upstanding flanges 30 which are adjacent to and preferably in contact with the portion 29 of the refrigerant container 5 above the roof sheets 24.

The reinforcing member 3i extends around the periphery of the upper part of the refrigerant container 5, which reinforcing member has spaced apart parts 32 and 33 straddling the upstanding flange 30 of the roof sheet 24 and the portion 29 of the container above the roof sheet 24, all of which are secured together by the horizontally dis-posed rivets 34. These rivets 34 may be countersunk on the inside of the container if desired. Thereinforcing member 3! isprovided with a horizontal flange 35 which overlaps the roof sheet 24 and this dance 33 is positioned directly above the carlines i8 and purlins 2i-22, respectively, so that the weight of the container 5 and the refrigerant therein is suspended from the reinforcing member 3i by the rivets 34, which weight is transferred to the horizontal flange 33 and thence directly to the purlins 2 i22 and the carlines I8, respectively. so that in the final analysis the carlines l8 and purlins 2I-22 directly support the refrigerant container 5 and the refrigerant therein.

The rivets 34 are horizontally disposed so that they may be easily driven by hand or a squeezer. but in case of a loose rivet any water passing around such loose rivet will drain into the container S'and thence through the flues 8 and iii to the lower part of the car, but'my construction is such that this water cannot contact the insulation of the car.

The container 51s supported and reinforced by a cradle arrangement which comprises a plurality of reinforcing U-shaped members 40. the bottom portions 4i of which support the refrigerant container 5 but is not secured thereto, and the arms 42-43 of which prevent outwardly bulging of the side walls 21 of the container 5. The e arms 42-43 are not secured to the side walls 21 of the container 5. The upper portions of the arms 42-43 are welded to and supported by the purlins 2 l-22, respectively. It may be desirable to slightly taper the walls of the container and the associated parts so that the lower portion of the container will be smaller than the upper part thereof to expedite installation and removal of the container from the car.

The hatch plug 43 preferably flts between the several portions of the reinforcing member 3i and is supported by a lid 41 which rests on top of the reinforcing member 3i. A gasket 48 may be provided between the lidand reinforcing member if desired. The metallic lid 41 can be hinged to the car in any desirable manner but must be constructed and arranged so that when the lid is in open position neither the lid nor the plug will interfere with the installation of the container or the removal thereof from the car.

The roof sheets 24 on either side of the carline i8 abut over the carline and are preferably secured to each other and the carline by a single row of welding 49.

Each carline l8, as shown, comprises a metallic bar of rolled channel section and positioned so that the web 50 thereof braces the vertical wall 25 of the container 5 and holds it in place, while the upper flange 5| thereof supports the flange 36 of the reinforcing member 3| and the lower flange 52 thereof supports the insulation 53 through the medium of the ceiling 54.

The purlin 2| illustrated in Figure 2 comprises an upper horizontal portion 50 upon which the roof sheets 24 rest, a vertical portion 6| which braces the wall 21 of the container 5, a lower horizontal portion 62 extending outwardly from the container to provide stiffening means and a portion 63 depending from the outer margin of the portion 62. The cradle members 40 are attached to either or both of the arms 52-453 and are supported and braced thereby. In this construction the container 5 may be moved vertically in or out of the cradle without disturbing the cradle and furthermore the wall 21 of the container 5 is flat without any projections which would interfere with the loading of the refrigerant into the container 5. The nailing strip 64 which supports the ceiling 54 is attached to the purlin 2 I.

Figure 6 shows a modified structure wherein insulation 68 has been inserted between the roof sheet 69 and purlin 10; and between the roof.

assaies wherein other insulation 12 has been inserted between the roof sheet flange I3 and reinforcing member II, which insulation also preferably extends between the upper part of the container wall I and reinforcing member II. The object of the insulations just described is to retard heat transfer from outside the car through the roof sheet 09 and container wall I6 to the interior of the car or into the refrigerant in the container. Wood, fibre board. Masonite, asbestos, plastic material, or any insulating material may be used as far as the invention is concerned.

Figure 7 is a modification of Fig. 6 wherein the reinforcing member 80 is made of plastic material which has insulating value thus only requiring insulation 8| between the roof sheet 82 and purlin 83 and insulation 84 between the roof sheet flange 85 and upper part of the container wall 00.

Figure 8 shows a modified structure wherein the reinforcing member is omitted and heat transfer between the roof sheet flange 9| and the upper part of the container wall 92 is prevented by the insulation 98 and the gasket 94, which is secured to the lid or opening cover 95. Insulation 06 is positioned between the roof sheet 91 and purlin 98.

Figure 9 is a modification of Fig. 8 wherein the wall sheet I00 of the container is formed with a marginal stiffening flange MI, and an insulating block'l02 is provided which is recessed for the flange I 0| and also for the flange I03 of the roof sheet I04. The gasket I; which is secured to the lid I06, preferably engages the block I02 and the flange Ifll. In this modification the wall I00 of the container is bolted as at I 01 to the flange I03 of the roof sheet. Asplastic is a poor conductor of heat, the reinforcing member may be made of plastic instead of steel if desired.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the, art.

I claim:

1. A refrigerant container for use in a railway car having s aced carlines and spaced purlins secured to ether to form a frame and roof sheets supported by said frame; said container comprislllg vertical side walls and vertical end walls and a bottom, the distances over the side walls and end walls, respectively, of the container being substantially the same as the distances between the purlins and carlines, respectively. of the frame, anda reinforcing member straddling and secured to the upper margin of said walls and having a lateral flange overlapping the margin of said roof sheets supported by said frame, whereby the container may be installed in or removed from the car through the frame from the exterior of the car without disturbing the frame or roof sheets.

2. A refrigerant container for use in a railway car having spaced carlines andspaced purlins secured together to form a frame and roof sheets supported by said frame and formed with upstanding marginal flanges, said container comprising vertical side walls and vertical end walls extending above said frame, the distances over the side walls and end walls, respectively, of the container being substantially the same as the distances between the purlins and carlines, respectively, of the frame, whereby the container may be installed in or removed from the car through metallic roof sheets 6 the frame from the exterior of the car without disturbing the frame or roof sheets, a reinforcing member supported by said frame and provided with a part straddling the portions of said walls extending above said frame and the roof sheet flanges, and securing means passing through the straddling portion of the reinforcing member, the roof sheet flange and the portions of i said walls extending above the roof sheets, whereby the container is suspended from the reinforcing member by said means.

3. A structure as defined in claim 2 wherein the reinforcing member is provided with a. lateral part adapted to be positioned directly above said frame when applied to a car.

4. A structure as defined in claim 2 including a cradle suspended from said purlins and positioned so as to support said container without being secured thereto.

5. A structure as defined in claim 2 including a, cradle suspended from said purlins and positioned so as to support said container and brace vertical walls thereof without being secured thereto.

6. In a railway car roof having a hatch opening therein formed by spaced frame members.

metallic roof sheets resting upon and supported a by said frame members and formed with upstanding flanges in the planes of the periphery of said opening, a refrigerant container comprising vertical walls, each having a portion thereof below the roof sheets substantially in contact with said frame members but not secured thereto and a portion thereof above said roof sheets substantially in contact with the flanges of the roof sheets, and securing means passing through the upstanding flanges of the roof sheets and the portions of the container walls above the roof sheets.

7. In a railway car roof having a hatch opening therein formed by spaced frame members. resting upon and supported by said frame members and formed with upstanding flanges in the plane of the periphery of said opening. a refrigerantcontainercomprising vertical walls, each having a portion thereof below the roof sheets substantially in contact with said frame members but not secured thereto and a portion thereof above said roof sheets substantially in contact with the flanges of the roof sheets, a reinforcing member straddling the portions of the container walls above the roof sheets and the upstandng flanges of the roof sheets, and securing means passing through the upstanding flanges of the roof sheets and the portions of the containerwalls above the roof sheets and the reinforcing member.

8. A structure as defined in claim 6 wherein all horizontal dimensions of the container are such that the container may be moved vertically through the hatch opening into or out of service position without disturbing the roof sheets.

9. A structure as deflned in claim '7 wherein said reinforcing member is provided with a flange resting upon the portions of the roof sheets above the frame members.-

10. A structure as defined in claim '7 wherein all horizontal dimensions a such that the container may be moved vertically through the hatch opening into or out of service position without disturbing the roof sheets or reinforcing member. l

11. In a railway car, the combination of a frame member having'a horizontal arm and a vertical arm, a roof sheet resting upon said horizontal arm and formed with an upstanding flange in the of the container are,

plane or the vertibal arm. a refrigerant container having 'a vertical wall extending above the plane of the-roof sheet, and horizontal securing means extending through said upstanding flange and theiportio'n oi the container above the plane oi the root sheet. 1

- 12. In a railway ear. the combination 0! a frame member having a horizontal arm and a vertical arm, a roof sheet resting upon said horizontal arm and formed with an upstanding flange in the plane of thevertical arm. a refrigerant container having a vertical wall extending above the 'planeof the rooisheet. a reiniorcing member straddling said upstanding flange and the portion of the container above the plane oi. the root sheet. and horizontal securing means extending through said upstanding flange and the portion or the container above the plane of the root sheet and the reinforcing member.

" I 13. Ina railwaycar, the combination of a frame member comprising anupper horizontal portion,

anupper-vertical portion depending irom one margin thereof, a lower horizontal portion spaced secure said upstanding flange and said wall together, and a cradle positioned between said lower vertical portion and said wall and secured to said frame member.

ALFRED L. THOMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS go Number Name Date 204,729 Haughey June 11, 1878 289,977 Chase Dec. 11, 1883 1,937,545 Campbell Dec. 5, 1933 

